Linda Henry has been cleared of racially abusing a traffic warden during a row over a cigarette butt in September last year

The 'EastEnders' star - who plays Shirley Carter in the BBC One soap - was accused of verbally attacking Iyabo Adetokunbo in a row outside the restaurant Jamie's Italian in Greenwich, south east London, in September after being asked to pick up a cigarette butt.

The 55-year-old actress entered a not guilty plea after being accused of calling the woman a "n*****" and vowed to fight "tooth and nail" over the claims she racially abused Iyabo and her colleague when they attempted to issue her with a fixed penalty notice for littering.

Linda allegedly asked the pair: "Do you know who I am? I'm Shirley."

When asked to clarify that the details she had provided the officers with was correct, Iyabo claims the actress - who has a 21-year-old daughter Ellie with husband Stavros Virilis - "arrogantly" launched the verbal attack.

Linda - who was charged under married name Virilis - was cleared of the charge at Bexley Magistrates' Court where she claimed she would never have used the "repulsive" term, reports BBC News.

When asked if she had abused the officer, Linda told the court: "Absolutely not. I would swear on my children's life, deathbed even."

According to the Daily Mirror newspaper, District Judge Nigel Dean said of his verdict: "Ms Varilis is of previous good character, which means that she has enhanced credibility, in addition to which she is someone who does not have the propensity of behaving in the way that the Crown allege that she did on the occasion in September."